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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lace Chain Scarf

In the midst of my painting, collage-ing, and ornament-making, I also crocheted a scarf for my brother's girlfriend Melissa, whose birthday is just a few days after Christmas.

Some months back, I saw this scarf advertised in a magazine:

I was immediately intrigued and went online to download the free pattern. However, the pattern was a bit hard to follow, and without the motivation of having someone to make it for, I never got very far. I decided I would try again for Melissa's birthday. After only a few failed attempts, I finally figured out the pattern and was able to complete it. Hooray!

Here is the finished product:

Here is a close-up of the pattern:

And here is the oh-so-adorable edging:

Despite the difficulties I had with understanding the pattern, I love how the design looks and it would not be hard to replicate now that I have figured it out. The scarf is composed almost entirely of chain stitches and a few single crochets, which gives it a very unique look. Aside from deciphering the instructions, the only real downside to this pattern is the fact that it requires constant stitch counting—meaning you can't carry on a conversation or watch a movie while working on it. Trust me. I tried.

The pattern called for a slightly bulkier yarn, but I opted for something a little finer to play up the pattern. I used NaturallyCaron.com Country Yarn for the first time and found it wonderful to work with. This is a blended yarn of acrylic and merino wool and has a nice sheen to it. It is also a 12-ply cable yarn, so no problems at all with splitting. I will definitely be using this yarn on future projects.

If I were to use this pattern again, I think I would like to try it with a bulkier yarn. The picture just looks so wonderfully soft and fluffy. But considering how many projects I already have going at the moment, I doubt I will be doing this anytime soon!